It has been said that the first consideration in buying a house is location. Actually, the first consideration, according to professionals, is getting educated about the home buying process.

Cheryl Kramer, housing consumer education center manger at the Housing Assistance Corporation of Cape Cod in Hyannis, says that’s the best step you can take before buying a home.

Kramer said that the first items to check off on a to-do list are checking your credit and ensuring there is enough money in the bank for a down payment, closing costs, and the myriad expenses of purchasing a house.

“They need to make sure the credit report is factual and representative of them,” Kramer said. “The higher the credit score, the better the customer they are to any lender.”

Typically lenders like to see scores of 640 or higher. Lower scores mean higher payments and fewer eligible programs for buyers, Kramer said.

Real estate agent Jan Pulit of Kinlin Grover also stresses the need to be sure one’s credit is solid, and also encourages potential buyers not to use multiple agents.

Too many people, she said, spend time jumping around to various agencies.

“Have a good agent who will guide you through the process,” Pulit said. “One person who is going to focus truly on them.”

Pulit also said that if a buyer’s credit is good, it’s best to strike while the iron is hot.

“One of the biggest mistakes is waiting,” she said. “When the market is ready, it’s far better to be paying mortgage than rent.”

Pulit said the timing is right in the market for buyers.

“In all the years I’ve been in the business, when interest rates are low, typically home prices are high,” she said. “Right now, we’re in a market where the interest rates are low and the prices are low.”

So if your credit is good and you’ve got some money set aside for the purchase of a home, what next?

The course features experts in the field, including home inspectors, insurance representatives, real estate agents, and attorneys.

“The whole piece is to give that overall view that these are all the people you’ll be meeting with during the home buying process,” Kramer said. “[Attendees] get to know who the people are and what their roles are.”

During the course, there are discussions of the mortgage products available, which can be helpful to first-time buyers.

“We try to help them find that right mortgage product,” Kramer said, “because what might be right for one household might not be right for another.”

Kramer said the course “teaches you that home buying is an actual process. Unfortunately, so many people put the cart before the horse. They start looking at houses before they learn what their credit is or what their savings are like.”

The benefit to starting with a credit check and a savings estimate, as well as the home buying course, is that it provides a secure base on which to begin.

“If you do it smartly and factually on the front end, you’ve got a better chance of successfully maintaining that house across the 30 years of that mortgage,” Kramer said, noting that many who are in trouble regarding foreclosures have not taken home buying classes.

“Having strong homebuyers buying houses in the community is better for all of us,” Kramer said, adding that secure homebuyers improve property values, strengthen the tax base in a community, and create secure neighborhoods. “If you have a strong foundation, you get a much better product at the top,” she said.

Now that you’re armed with helpful information, let the process of buying your home begin.

“We want to see people do it the smart way,” Kramer said. “By being prepared.”